Selling a property in Portugal: start with the price

How the price is formed

The starting point is the INE median: the median sale value per m² of family dwellings over the last 12 months, published for the parish or, when the parish has too few sales, for the municipality. It is the price of homes that have changed hands, not an asking price in an advert.

The estimate then adjusts that median to the property: the number of bedrooms and the floor area, the extra areas (balcony, terrace, garden, storeroom), the state of repair, the floor and the lift, the sun exposure, the energy certificate, the parking. The adjustments have an overall cap: an unusual property calls for a visit, not for a figure without a safety net. The result comes with a range and a confidence score, which drops when data for the area is scarce.

Asking price and agreed price

Between the advertised price and the price on the deed there is almost always a negotiation. For sellers, the estimate shows the recommended asking price, which keeps the usual negotiating margin in the market, and the likely agreed price. If the property is already on the market, enter the asking price: the estimate compares it with the market value for the area.

Online estimate or bank appraisal

The Tagus Valor online estimate is automated and free: a statistical estimate from INE data, adjusted to the property, so that you decide with figures in hand. A bank appraisal is carried out by a valuer registered with the CMVM, at the request of the buyer's bank when there is a mortgage, and sets the loan amount; it can come in below the agreed price.

Only a registered valuer can produce a valuation within the meaning of Law 153/2015: the estimate is not one and does not replace one. It is the starting point for setting the asking price and for talking to whoever will handle the sale.

Documents for selling in Portugal

• Caderneta predial urbana (the land tax register extract), from the Portal das Finanças: it identifies the property and its tax value (VPT).
• Certidão permanente do registo predial, the land registry certificate: it shows who the owner is and whether there are mortgages, attachments or other charges.
• Energy certificate (certificado energético), issued by a qualified assessor in the ADENE system: required as soon as the property is advertised for sale.
• Autorização de utilização (the former licença de utilização, the occupancy permit), from the câmara municipal: since 2024 it no longer has to be shown at the deed of sale (Decreto-Lei n.º 10/2024), but the buyer or their bank may ask for it.
• Ficha técnica da habitação, for more recent buildings: it has not been required at the deed since 2024 either, but the buyer may ask for it.

An inheritance, a divorce, a tenanted property or unlicensed works change the list: have a lawyer or solicitador check the documents for your case before the promissory contract (contrato-promessa).

Living outside Portugal?

The online estimate and the first contact can both be done remotely: contact@tagusproperty.com, or the contact page. An inheritance, non-resident status, a power of attorney, capital gains: each situation has its own rules. Have a lawyer or solicitador check yours before you sign the promissory contract.

Elsewhere in Portugal

The online estimate is free across the country, in the 304 municipalities for which INE publishes a price: the median for your municipality is on the price pages (in Portuguese). For any question about selling, write to us or call us.